Moeen Ali addresses retirement talk for England, says form will be a factor - ‘It could be at the World Cup'

Moeen Ali has admitted he could announce his retirement from international cricket if his performances are not up to scratch at the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Ali announced his retirement from Test cricket in July 2023, following the conclusion of last year's Ashes series against Australia, which England drew 2-2.

He had previously stated his intention to call it a day in September 2021, but was persuaded to link up with the squad again by captain Ben Stokes due to spinner Jack Leach's injury.

The 36-year-old stressed that form would play a key role in his decision to continue at the highest level or not.

“If I'm playing well, I want to carry on playing,” he said in quotes published by BBC Sport. “I've never put a number on it.

“It could be at the World Cup if I'm not playing so well, or whatever it is, and I decide ‘OK, this is the time’.

“There's no time on it. If I'm playing really well, and my body's good, then I want to carry on playing for as long as I can.”

For now, the spinner’s focus will be on the upcoming World Cup opener against Scotland in Barbados on June 4.

The squad’s preparations for the tournament have taken a hit, after rain forced the first T20 warm-up match against Pakistan at Headingley to be abandoned on Wednesday.

Buttler's side will hope for better weather conditions when they resume the series in Cardiff on Tuesday, before the final match at The Oval two days later.

They then fly out to the Caribbean for the tournament - co-hosted with the United States - on May 31.

England named their provisional 15-man squad for the tournament on April 30 ahead of the Pakistan series, and it will be finalised before Saturday's deadline.

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